New Yorkers communicate in over 800 languages, with about 30% (5.8 million) of New Yorkers using a language other than English at home. This makes it difficult to access important programs and services. To make sure all New Yorkers can access government services and benefits, no matter how well they communicate in English, Governor Hochul signed the New York State’s language access policy into law in April 2022 and created the New York State Office of Language Access.
In her 2026 State of the State, Governor Hochul directed Executive State Agencies to streamline access to American Sign Language (ASL) and treat requests for ASL interpretation services made by the public as a language access matter, thereby expanding access to essential government services for members of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing community.
Just like any English as a Second Language learner, ASL users may have varying degrees of proficiency in English and may have difficulty reading, writing, and communicating in English given the different vocabulary, grammar, and syntax.
Language access is a fundamental civil right in any language, spoken or signed, and New York State is leading in this work.
To celebrate our state's linguistic diversity and firm commitment to providing New Yorkers with access to government services and benefits in their preferred language, Governor Hochul has declared April as Language Access Month.
To learn more about your language access rights in New York State, visit our Know Your Rights page.
The New York State Office of Language Access. Your Language. Your New York State.
Watch the "Know Your Rights" video, available in the following languages, including English:
American Sign Language
Arabic (العربية)
Bangla (বাংলা)
French (Français)
English
Haitian Creole (Kreyòl Ayisyen)
Italian (Italiano)
Korean (한국어)
Polish (Polski)
Russian (Русский)
Simplified Chinese (简体中文)
Spanish (Español)
Traditional Chinese (繁體中文)
Urdu (اُردُو)
Yiddish (ייִדיש)